On today’s episode we are going to be talking about "is weight loss is bad?" The focus on Weight loss is the number 1 thing that women who embrace UnDieting have trouble giving up and it’s almost one of the most misunderstood topics in the UnDiet world.

We have a worksheet that you can download that goes along with this episode. It will help you with how to navigate desiring weight loss AND wanting to become an UnDieter. - You can grab it here.

NO. Weight loss is NOT bad, it’s also not “good”, it's just something that can happen. There's no morality tied to it.

What non diet people are always harping about isn't that weight loss is bad, it's that the pursuit of weight loss is harmful both mentally and physically and most people are actively pursuing this because we were told to!!

 

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO PURSUE WEIGHT LOSS?

Track food, calories, macros

Weighing yourself

Wanting something and not eating it because you are focusing on losing weight right now (usually pursuing weight loss is short lived)

You have a specific weight loss goal

Not listening to your body (not eating when you're hungry because it doesn't fit into your daily allotment etc)

Thinking about food WAY too often




Why is pursuing weight loss harmful?

The reason pursuing weight loss is harmful is because it doesn’t work (even though we are told by diet culture that it absolutely does work if you have the will power and right meal plan) - you have a 2% chance of losing weight and keeping it off (probably not with ease), and a 66% chance of ending up heavier than you started. Pursing weight loss also completely disconnects you from your body, your intuition, and gives you a messed up relationship with food and your body (hello obsession, all or nothing thinking, and binge eating!)

 

Why is it when you actually start to allow all food and not focus on weight loss you feel less “crazy”?

Because your body isn’t in restriction, so it doesn’t get into primal hunger which has you obsessing over food all day, you have a clear mind and you can listen to what your body is telling you. When you give it the cookie when it asks and give it the salad when it asks - your body starts to trust you and your nervous system relaxes. Your body knows when it gives a signal it will be heard and met.

 

That cannot happen when you only have weight loss on the brain.

And we still stand behind that weight loss isn’t bad - it's just not very effective or necessary to focus on it so much.

If you honored your cravings and body’s signals and happened to lose weight - that’s not wrong of you. Your body just happened to shift - and that also doesn’t mean you are now a worthy person.

Even if you do pursue weight loss, you’re not a bad person, you’re just more likely to end up heavier than you started and develop a poor relationship with food. Actions have results and this one just doesn’t seem worth it!

It’s also not wrong or bad to WANT to lose weight - you can still work on UnDieting and creating a balanced life that feels amazing without actively PURSUING weight loss even when you would like to be thinner in a perfect world.

 

What does it look like to UnDiet even if you would still like to lose weight?

Listen to your body, eating when hungry etc

Making choices based on how you want to feel instead of how you want to look (sometimes this means enjoying the dessert sometimes it means not eating it)

Not weighing yourself

No tracking, numbers etc

Repairing the dieting mindset so you CAN find natural balance

Not thinking about food much until you're hungry

Flexibility in eating, exercising etc WHILE still desiring to feel good in your body



We don't think body changes are good or bad. You can Lose weight - move on with life. Gain weight- move on with life. Stay the same- move on with life. Doesn't matter!

If you focus on feeling good in your body and let go of the focus on weight loss- you will feel free to live your life AND you can feel amazing. This migh